Medical and Health Care for Railway Employees
Indian Railways have a network of 122 hospitals and 670 health units. These have 13,795 indoor beds. Annual expenditure is Rs. 236 crores.
More than 2,500 experienced doctors with specialisation man the hospitals and health units.
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There are specialised hospitals for cancer at Varanasi, for heart diseases at Madras, for orthopedics at Calcutta, for plastic surgery at Bombay for gastroenterology at Bombay and for IOL Facility at Delhi/Calcutta.
Specialists are invited to Rly. hospitals. Employees are also referred to Medical Colleges and specialised treatment centres and re-imbursement of their medical expenses is made.
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Railways have their own Family Planning and Family Welfare Centres to look after the health of mothers and children.
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Railways provide free medical treatment in Railway hospitals.
Who are Entitled for the Free Medical Treatment in Rly. Hospitals
(i) All Rly. employees.
(ii) Families of all Rly. employees.
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(iii) Employed spouse of Rly. servants.
(iv) Step-children over 21 years residing with and wholly dependent on Rly. employees.
(v) Act apprentices who come within “family” of employees.
(vi) Staff of Institutes, Clubs, Statutory Canteens.
(vii) Servants of Rly. employees-only outdoor Treatment, Casual labours, Licensed Porters, Staff of Co-operatives, Canteens.
(viii) Contractors labour if no hospital exists (Contractor will pay for it).
Employees of Rly. Board, RDSO and Rly. Liaison Office:
Posted at New Delhi are governed by rules issued by the Ministry of Health for Central Government servants, unless those deputed from Railways with them may opt to be governed by Rly. rules.
Authorised Medical Officer:
DMO/AMO for gazetted officers and AMO for non-gazetted employees shall be the Authorised Medical Officers. Medical attendance includes indoor and outdoor treatment including special examinations.
In case an attendance is required by the employee at home he can pay a fee to the doctor either on contract basis in which case the particular doctor is entitled to get from the pay of the employee a sum rate @ 2% of his Pay for DMO, and 1 % for AMO ; or on visit basis at the rate as-
| Status of | Employees drawing Pay | Employees drawing |
| Doctor | Rs. 1600 or more | Pay 1200 to 1599 |
| MS/Sr. DMO | Rs. 20 | Rs. 12 |
| DMO | Rs. 16 | Rs. 10 |
| ADMO/AMO | Rs. 12 | Rs. 6 |
Contributory Health Scheme for Retiring Railway employees
Health services are also available to Rly. employees on nominal contributory charges.
One can join and leave the scheme at any time. But if after leaving it once he wants to rejoin he will have to pay full subscription for the intervening period.
This surviving members of the Ex-Rly. employee can also join the scheme.
Charges for the treatment of outsiders in Railway Hospitals have been given in Railway Board’s letter of 12.4.1988.
Railway employees injured on duty and retiring before artificial limb was provided will be given artificial limb free of charge.
If a limb provided while in service needs replacement after retirement, due to wear and tear, it will be replaced once free of cost in a railway hospital.
Retired Employees Liberalised Health Scheme:
Employees retiring from service (other than on resignation) will be governed by this scheme. The existing employees can opt for this scheme. The medical facilities will be admissible for self, spouse, widowed mother, dependent children.
Self, spouse and dependent mother will get indoor, outdoor treatment and once replacement of artificial limb for injuries sustained on duty, and free consultation with Hony.
Consultants, However, free visit by the Doctors will not be covered under this. To others outdoor treatment will be provided. Diet charges will ful of all.
When admitted to Medical Colleges/Hospitals on the recommendations of CMO/CHS, the expenses can be reimbursed up to 50%.
For availing this scheme, a onetime payment of amount equal to one month’s salary of the last month of service will be recovered at the time of retirement.
Medical expenses for retired employee and his spouse for cancer operation, heart surgery or renal failure in recognised hospitals should be re-imbruse fully up to a limit of Rs. 1 lakh per person and ceiling of Rs. 2 lakh.
GM/CMDs may re-imburse 50% of total cost of special investigation-CT Scan and MRI-done in non-government laboratories with prior approval of CMD/MD/CMS with ceilings as stipulated for serving employees.
Re-imbursement of Medical Expenses:
When employees or their family members are referred to a Hospital by Railway Medical Authority, the expenses incurred by the employee are reimbursed on production of bills/receipts countersigned by the Superintendant of the Hospital as per a procedure laid down.
G.M. may sanction such reimbursements up to Rs. 5,000.
For undergoing Family Welfare Measures:
A. Increment:
Employee within reproductive age group having not more than 2 or 3 children may be granted an increment if he or his spouse undergo an operation for sterilisation.
The increment will not be absorbed in future increase of pay.
B. Interest on House Building Advance:
Interest should by lesser by 1/2% for such employees.
Note:
Leave may be suffixed/prefixed with other type leave. Casual labourers are also entitled to the benefits.
Advance for Treatment in Govt./ Non-RIy. Hospitals:
G.M. may sanction an advance up to Rs. 1 lakh for treatment of employees and their eligible dependants in Govt./recognised hospitals as referred to by Rly.
Medical Authority:
For sanction advice of CMD and concurrence of Finance is necessary. (Bd’s No. 92/H/4/8/dated 13.8.96).